54 Things Wrong With Gwendolyn Rogers (Caela Carter)

 

I read this book with my Children's Lit book club. It seemed like a great read for all the time we have spent thinking and talking and working on inclusion. We weren't disappointed. I think this would be a great book for every teacher to read! The author did a great job creating a character (maybe because she was like herself!) who could explain how it feels to struggle with school and life. 

Goodreads says:

An own voices story that shines a light on how one girl's learning differences are neither right nor wrong...just perfectly individual.

No one can figure out what Gwendolyn Rogers's problem is--not her mom, or her teachers, or any of the many therapists she's seen. But Gwendolyn knows she doesn't have just one thing wrong with her: she has fifty-four.

At least, according to a confidential school report (that she read because she is #16. Sneaky, not to mention #13. Impulsive). So Gwendolyn needs a plan, because if she doesn't get these fifty-four things under control, she's not going to be able to go to horse camp this summer with her half-brother, Tyler.

But Tyler can't help her because there's only one thing "wrong" with him: ADHD.

And her best friend Hettie can't help her because there's nothing wrong with Hettie. She's perfect.

So Gwendolyn is hopeless until she remembers the one thing that helped her mother when her own life was out of control. Or actually, the twelve things. Can these Twelve Steps that cured her mother somehow cure Gwendolyn too?

Digging For Words (Angela Burke Kunkel)

 

In our comfortable and plush lives we can hardly imagine anyone pulling stuff out of the garbage to make it useful.

Goodreads says:

Based on the life of Jose Alberto Gutierrez, a garbage collector in Bogota, Colombia who started a library with a single discarded book found on his route.

In the city of Bogata, in the barrio of La Nueva Gloria, there live two Joses. One is a boy who dreams of Saturdays-- that's the day he gets to visit Paradise, the library. The second Jose is a garbage collector. From dusk until dawn, he scans the sidewalks as he drives, squinting in the dim light, searching household trash for hidden treasure . . . books! Some are stacked in neat piles, as if waiting for Jose. Others take a bit more digging. Ever since he found his first book, Anna Karenina, years earlier, he's been collecting books--thick ones and thin ones, worn ones and almost new ones-- to add to the collection in his home. And on Saturdays, kids like little Jose run to the steps of Paradise to discover a world filled with books and wonder.

With an evocative text by a debut author, and rich, stunning illustrations from an up-and-coming Colombian illustrator, here is a celebration of perseverance, community, and the power of books.

Woolbur (Leslie Helakoski)

 

We loved the language that was repeated again and again because once students realized that was happening, they'd join in.  This would be a good companion book with Fifty Four Things Wrong Gwendolyn Rogers with respect to the feelings parents have when their child isn't a conformist! 

Goodreads says:

Woolbur is a free-spirited, fluffy, one-of-a-kind sheep! He knows the most important accessories are confidence and fearlessness.

Woolbur is not like other sheep. He hangs out with wild dogs and even dyes his wool blue.

"Don't worry!" says Grandpaa when Maa and Paa fret that Woolbur is different. But when they tell their son to follow the flock, the opposite happens—the flock follows him! Soon everyone is copying his wild hairstyles and taking turns on the spinning wheel. Leave it to Woolbur to find a new way to step ahead of the herd.

Spunky, funky, and refreshingly distinct, Woolbur will strike a chord with anyone who's ever felt different. And that's all of us!

Peak Mind (Amishi P. Jha)

 

I learned about this book from a medication on my CALM app by Jay Shetty. I've been meditating pretty faithfully since 2022. I can't say I'm super good at it but I do feel like it is doing something good in my life. This book has the science that backs up why meditation is important. 

One thing that really struck me was when I read about why we don't remember some things. My husband has many more memories of our years as parents and our years together than I do. After reading this, it made me think perhaps it is simply because I'm always trying to multi-task and do more than one thing at one time. If I stop and am in the moment, I will be able to hold on to those memories better. 

p. 256 One meditation to do any time anywhere is to repeat these phrases:
May you be happy
May you be well
May you be safe
May you live with ease. 

 You could also replace the you with I and send goodwill to yourself.

p. 241 The author says that distraction = disconnection. This is how this relates to working memory:

Distracted
- You can't keep your attentional flashlight pointing to one or more conversational partners.

- Your mental whiteboard is cluttered - you have failed to let distracting content fade from your working memory.

- You keep time traveling, unable to stay in the present moment of the conversation as it unfolds.

Disregulated
- You can't regulate your emotions.

- You are reactive or display volatile behavior during the interaction. 

Disconnected
- You incorrectly believe that thoughts are facts.

- You fail to have a shared mental model of the situation.

- You apply the wrong mental model to the situation.

p. 235  There is a concept in Buddhism called the "Second Arrow." It comes from the famous parable: The Buddha asked one of his students, "If you are struck by an arrow, does it hurt?"
"Yes! the student replied.
"If you are struck by a second arrow," the Buddha asked, "does it hurt even more?"
"It does," the student replied.
The Buddha explained: In life, we can't control whether we're hit by an arrow or not. But the second arrow is our reaction to the first. The first arrow causes pain - the second arrow is our distress about that pain.
I love this parable because it very simply encapsulates the connection between mindfulness and attention: The first arrow happens. There are arrows every day. But the second arrow - your response to the first = is what sucks up your attentional bandwith. And that is within your control. There is another choice point you can access - if you have an awareness of your own mind.

Goodreads says:

Research shows we are missing 50 percent of our lives. Why?
Because we aren’t paying attention.

From the constant buzz of your phone and the lure of your media feed to your unrelenting, all-encompassing, and evergrowing mental to-do list—the demands on your attention have never been so severe. The result is an escalating crisis, where we feel mentally foggy, scattered, and overwhelmed. Remarkably, the solution to our attention crisis has been right here in front of us the entire time. Acclaimed neuroscientist Amishi P. Jha, PhD, has dedicated her life’s work to understanding the science of attention at every level—from brain-imaging studies in the lab to field-testing soldiers, firefighters, athletes, healthcare and business professionals, and students. Her mission has been to scientifically determine how we can harness the full power of our attention to better meet all that life demands. Dr. Jha expertly guides readers through fascinating research, debunking common assumptions and offering stunning new insights into where presence and purpose really come from. Peak Mind reveals remarkably easy to adapt, flexible, 12-minute-a-day exercises to lift the mental fog, declutter the mind, and strengthen focus so that you can experience more of your life.

About the author: Amishi P. Jha, Ph.D is professor of psychology and director of contemplative neuroscience at the University of Miami. She leads research on the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, and resilience. She has spoken at TED.com, the World Economic Forum, and NATO, and has been covered by Scientific American, the New York Times, NPR, and Forbes.

Even Superheroes Have Bad Days (Shelley Baker)

 

Sometimes we feel justified in losing our cool or lashing out at people. Imagine what superheroes could do if they felt that way?! Great lesson in self-discipline and super cute too. 

Goodreads says:

When Superheroes don’t get their way,
when they’re sad, when they’re mad, when they’ve had a bad day . . .
. . . they COULD super-tantrum, they COULD but they DON'T,
because REAL Superheroes just WOULDN'T—they WON'T!


All kids have trouble getting a grip on their emotions, sometimes—even young superheroes! But what do they do when they’re having a bad day? Colorful action-packed illustrations and a dynamite rhyming text reveal the many ways superheroes (and ordinary children, too) can resist the super-temptation to cause a scene when they’re sad, mad, frustrated, lonely, or afraid. From burning off steam on a bike or a hike, to helping others, this energetic picture book has plenty of fun ideas to help kids cope when they’re feeling overwhelmed.